Here are some of the facts we learnt:
- SHA
was set up in 1984 after the Ethiopian famine which was highlighted by Bob
Geldof. A priest and a teacher went to help and afterwards decided they
wanted to do more but on a long term basis. They set up SHA with a grant
of £1m from the Live Aid Foundation.
- Their
aims were to
-
1. help farmers,
-
2. train
local communities,
-
3. give
money to the community not through governments. SHA is an NGO
- Africa is the
poorest part of the world, especially rural Africa. SHA will not solve all
the problems but have decided to help with agriculture because then
farmers can grow own food, feed own families, make own money.
- Why is there
such poverty in Africa? - this dates back to colonisation - Africans had
no control of their own lands. When colonisataion ended they had no
experience of managing the land.
- Farmers in
Ireland help farmers in Africa - SHA is supported by Teagas and Irish
Farmers Association through funding and expertise.
- SHA projects
are Sustainable / long term projects and the local communities are able to
maintain the projects after SHA leave. Most SHA projects last for 5 years.
- In the
aftermath of Live Aid, the public support and donations was diminishing so
in the late 1980's SHA realised they needed to TELL people about where
their funds were being spent so people could understand and continue to
support them. SHA focussed on Development Education to raise awareness of
the injustices in the world. Patsy is the Development Education officer
for SHA in Ireland. St Wolstans TY follow a SHA development education
programme so the issues are being studied each year and more people are
becoming aware of the injustices in the world.
- 1/2 people in
the world live in very tough conditions and we are part of the problem. In
Ghana 1/4 mil children work in the chocolate industry - indentured slaves
(An indentured servant was a worker, typically a laborer or tradesman,
under contract to an employer for a fixed period of time, typically three
to seven years, in exchange for their transportation, food, clothing,
lodging and other necessities.) Do you buy Fair Trade chocolate? If not,
then you are part of the problem.
- SHA projects
focus on subsistence for farmers - growing enough to feed their family and
selling the extra to help improve their lives. SHA realised that women are
the main workers in rural Africa, they do all the work and the men control
the money and what is done with it. SHA projects aim to empower women -
give them access to money - micro credit
- SHA set up a
Cooperative Credit Union scheme:
-
literacy
training for founders of CU
-
woman saves
a little money and SHA match what she saves.
-
women own
the money
-
women
entrepreneurs have made huge changes in their communities.
- SHA don't run a volunteer programme because their aims are for long term projects and ones that use local manpower etc.
Find out more about Self Help Africa at www.selfhelpafrica.org